I am Hervé, Cameroonian, 30 years old, and a father of two children. I live in a small village located in the north of the country. This story is my story during the time of the pandemic in Cameroon.

I didn’t have a stable job so I was busy with my little family. In Cameroon, there is not enough work in the regulated areas. I had to go to the big cities to look for work. It was at the beginning of February 2020, that I went to Douala to look for work. I arrived in Douala, had found a job in a restaurant and I lived with my boss, that is to say, the boss of the restaurant.

When the pandemic started in Cameroon, my boss’s restaurant was closed and I only worked at home as a gardener.  The pandemic had spread very quickly in my neighborhood. People were dying in disorder in my neighborhood.  But I was not afraid. Then the wife of my boss had the disease, this was the beginning of the moment of distress in the house. She was evacuated straight to the hospital and I was so scared. I wanted to go home to my village but it was impossible because we were not allowed public travel. A week later my boss’s wife died. I was already too worried. I went to the hospital for a test and was negative for the virus.

The good Lord had protected me during all this moment and I left Douala in good condition. It was in June 2020 that I joined my family in the village and all of my family members were in good health. Now I am still in the village and have decided to continue with the breeding.